Membership Retention

THE CHALLENGE: KEEPING THOSE MEMBERSHIP NUMBERS UP!

Membership retention plagues trade and professional associations. Numbers are the a big issue for member-driven organizations.

As we've said many times: programming can go a long way towards keeping members engaged in the association. 

In fact,  good programs attract membership. Programming contributes to the perception that affiliation with your group is beneficial to the membership by providing important information and responding to their need for knowledge.

Of course, the opportunity to network, meet prominent people in their industry, or affiliate with a group that is known for attracting distinguished leaders, will also drive membership and participation.

Let's be clear, members affiliate for mainly selfish reasons. 

The feeling that affiliation with your group is of service to their career ambitions, and offers value keeps them active in your association.

The organization has to be ready to meet members' needs, collectively and individually. Since these needs shift with occupational change, job moves, employment status, it is often not about keeping an individual member, but about constantly recruiting new members with similar profiles. 

This makes running an organization expensive. As with any business, it is less costly to retain "customers" than it is to find new ones.  

Every organization is different and therefore the reasons for joining and keeping one's membership paid-up vary. But regardless of what the organization aims to accomplish as an entity, its service to its membership must be clear. The only thing members really want from an organization is that it serve them well and that it appears to have their  varied interests in mind. 

Alumni groups have an advantage in that they can serve members across a wide range of occupations, and interests. Yet even they are faced with issues of member retention. 

Shifting geography plays a part in creating this problem for any group. Preoccupation with other concerns, such as long work hours in striving to get ahead, or need for time for family is another factor.  

You will find that members have to be constantly engaged, steadily wooed and courted, and sometimes wowed!